We (& by we I mean me & DCs b/c DH is is about as crunchy as fried chicken & beer) use stevia. It's considered a dietary supplement if you look it up (FDA classification). It's really good IMO. I actually have some sample packets in the FFS section if you wanted them (like little sugar packets). I can send them for a stamp if you wanted to give a try before buying. You can get it online & at health food stores.

Honey is good too - but by honey I mean real honey... not some of the crap you find in the store loaded w/refined sugar.

Depending on what you're doing or trying to sweeten there are lots of other options too - like when I bake a lot of times I will use juice instead of sugar. We generally make our own juice & I often substitute that for sugar in a recipe... there are a lot of things you can "swap" for the bad ingredients & no one would ever notice... not even my DH LOL Sometimes it even tastes better. Like when I make a cake or brownies I use applesauce instead of oil & everyone tell me "wow this tastes so yummy & moist."

We (& by we I mean me & DCs b/c DH is is about as crunchy as fried chicken & beer) use stevia. It's considered a dietary supplement if you look it up (FDA classification). It's really good IMO. I actually have some sample packets in the FFS section if you wanted them (like little sugar packets). I can send them for a stamp if you wanted to give a try before buying. You can get it online & at health food stores.

Honey is good too - but by honey I mean real honey... not some of the crap you find in the store loaded w/refined sugar.

Depending on what you're doing or trying to sweeten there are lots of other options too - like when I bake a lot of times I will use juice instead of sugar. We generally make our own juice & I often substitute that for sugar in a recipe... there are a lot of things you can "swap" for the bad ingredients & no one would ever notice... not even my DH LOL Sometimes it even tastes better. Like when I make a cake or brownies I use applesauce instead of oil & everyone tell me "wow this tastes so yummy & moist."

HTH

My dh is the same way as far as health food goes! I got a bunch of whey protein shake mix, and I even mixed it with frozen fruit, but because it didn't taste like Dairy Queen he wouldn't drink it. Even the kids love it!

We don't use sugar a whole lot except for baking. I want to make recipes that are a little healthier, even for like cookies and things. I didn't know you could use juice! I also want to get coconut oil, it's supposed to be a really healthy alternative to vegetable oil.

If no one else has claimed the samples you speak of, I would love them, just pm me your pp with the amount to send.

Oh, and honey scares me, I'm all paranoid about botulism. If it's safe, do your kids like it?

I use turbinado (sp) sugar from our local Seventh-Day Adventist community market...it has a "stronger" taste than sugar, but is great! Less refined, etc than white sugar. Also Sucanat (stands for SUgar CAne NATural)...it and turbinado seem to be basically the same thing.

I got a sample of Stevia today and it's great! I'd bought some of the pure powder before and couldn't get the hang of it (it's uber-strong and if you use even a tiny bit too much it is way bitter). This stuff is "cut" with some kind of fiber so it measures like artificial sweetener. I think it's Sweet Leaf brand, but I may be wrong.

My dh is the same way as far as health food goes! I got a bunch of whey protein shake mix, and I even mixed it with frozen fruit, but because it didn't taste like Dairy Queen he wouldn't drink it. Even the kids love it!

We don't use sugar a whole lot except for baking. I want to make recipes that are a little healthier, even for like cookies and things. I didn't know you could use juice! I also want to get coconut oil, it's supposed to be a really healthy alternative to vegetable oil.

If no one else has claimed the samples you speak of, I would love them, just pm me your pp with the amount to send.

Oh, and honey scares me, I'm all paranoid about botulism. If it's safe, do your kids like it?

SORRY Samples went w/another mamma a while back... but if I come accross more I'll let ya know. My health food store has them there but it's like an hour away & too tiny to make a trip that far on purpose just to go there so I'm rarely that way.

I use coconut oil - works great... I think it's just got a lower heat point.

As far as honey, hmmm... I don't think we've used it more than a handful of times. And not until recently when DS is almost 3 & always in baking/cooking so it's not plain either. I've made "fudge" w/it too (you use honey & carob powder... something I'm missing I think but basically combine them & roll into little logs & cut them up like fudge. Pretty good!). I wouldn't give it to anyone younger than my toddler I don't think. If it scares ya, stay away from it... there are so many other options.

But yeah you can def use juice! We sure do. And the applesauce trick in place of the oil - I think I mentioned that before - even the non-crunchy folks in my life prefer my baking that way.